The present invention relates to improvements in sound reducing systems, and more particularly, to a sound reducing system for use in rooms housing animals.
Sound reducing systems are well known in the art. These devices generally consist of tiles made of sound absorbing material. The tiles are mounted on the ceiling and walls of rooms, and are used to reduce ambient reverberating room noise and provide for a quiet, pleasant environment.
The tiles of prior art sound reducing systems are usually constructed of a soft, easily broken, easily soiled material. When placed in rooms housing animals, these tiles are often damaged by coming into contact with animals and wheeled carts containing animals. Prior art sound reducing baffles are also usually made of liquid absorbing materials which become unhygienic when exposed to bodily secretions from animals or washing of the room surfaces. Once these fluids are absorbed by the prior art tile, there is no easy method for cleaning the tiles and they must be replaced. Thus, the prior art sound reducing systems are easily damaged and soiled. Once soiled, they are difficult to clean.
To overcome these shortcomings in the prior art, it is known to wrap the tiles in a protective barrier such as a plastic bag and hang the bag from hooks. However, the proposed protective bags quickly deteriorated. It is also known to place the bag in a metal housing and surrounding the bag with acoustic mesh. This protected the bag, however, the housing was closed with complex fasteners which are difficult to access, making cleansing or replacement of the sound reducing material difficult. The present invention is directed to overcoming the shortcomings in the prior art.
The present invention relates to an improved sound reducing system having a housing. An acoustic baffle disposed in the housing is encased by a water proof moisture protector. An acoustic netting is disposed on opposed sides of the encased baffle within the housing. The housing consists of an inner pan and an outer pan which are hingedly connected in a clam-shell type construction.
The pans are moveable between an open position and a closed position. When in the closed position, the housing protects the delicate acoustic baffle and acoustic netting within, and when in the open position, allows for the removal and cleaning of the acoustic baffle and acoustic netting.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved sound reducing system which is easy to clean.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a sound reducing system in which the delicate acoustic baffle and acoustic netting are protected from physical harm.
Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification.
The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the constructions hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.